Cast your mind back to 90’s. A simpler time full of CRT Tv’s, knitted clothing, that weird noise your internet made and of course, your classic fatass gameboy with Pokemon Red (who even had Blue?) super glued in the cart slot. Many gamers first taste of global indoctrination into Game Freak’s Pocket Monster craze, a craze that is very much still going some 20 years later.
Let’s Go has had a rough start to life. It’s announcement came with what seemed like universal scorn from the hard-core fan base. Nothing was safe when it came to Let’s Go. Graphics? Awful. Difficulty? Casual. Generation? Pandering. In short: babies first pokemon. You know what? I was doubtful myself. Doubtful but still optimistic.
Over the festive season I’ve had a lot of time playing Let’s Go, and let me be straight with you: I haven’t been this enthralled with a game for quite some time. Is it easy? Yes. Is it casual? Sure. But I find myself not caring.
Let’s Go is oozing with nostalgia. From wadling up Route 1 to getting lost in Silph Co. I couldn’t help but be enthralled the whole 30 hours it took me to reach the top, and I’m still playing. There is something endlessly satisfying about walking through Kanto and seeing the shadow of a Dragonite fly by, or watching a Gyrados zip by on the ocean waves. This is the most realised world Game Freak have ever churned out.
What made the whole thing better was playing the whole game with drop in/drop out multiplayer. ‘Catching Em’ All’ with my son was like playing with my childhood self and seeing the wonder of pokemon for the first time all over again.
As simple as Let’s Go is, and don’t get me wrong this is a simple game, it’s kept me enticed long after the end credits, and when I’m done with it, I’ll be throwing up a full review. But for now, all I can give is the nostalgic ramblings of a gen oner.
Games With Toasty 